FLASHES FROM FIELDS OF SPORT ABROAD

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1935, Page 12

FLASHES FROM FIELDS OF SPORT ABROAD

Prohibited. A stiange clause was inserted in the contract signed by G. M. Lott, American lawn tennis player, when he became a professional with the Tilden troupe. Lott and W. T. Tilden used to be very good friends, until the younger player • acquired the habit of calling the elder “Tillie,” which nickname Tilden disliked. In Lott’s contract there is a clause prohibiting him

from using the name “Tillie” to or about Tilden; But it seems to us that Tilden could easily have settled the question by calling the other player “Lottie.”

The development of Bruce Mitchell’s all-round capacity as a cricketer is indicated by the fact that he was the first man to score 1000 runs in Transvaal cricket in the 1934-35 season there, and when he reached that total he had also taken more wickets than any other bowler in the province—77 at an average cost of 12.23 runs. So there will be extra interest in his form in England during the South African team’s approaching tour.

Irish Improvement. Although Ireland won the Rugby championship of the four Home unions, for the 1934-35 season, only because in the final match of the series England, which had beaten Ireland, was beaten by Scotland, there are indications that Ireland deserved the honour because of the improvement in the play of its team after the match with England, Against Scotland the Irishmen were markedly superior in almost everything but goalkicking; they could not convert one of their four tries, although a schoolboy would have been ashamed to miss any of the first three kicks. The Irish forwards were not only very lively in the loose; they surprised by showing form in tight play and in loose scrums that Irish forwards had not shown for years. They were particularly good in heeling from loose scrums. As Ireland had found an excellent combination just behind the scrum its team thus had plenty of opportunity to attack. The weakness in play of the Irish side, though, was that the centre threequarters kicked too often and too far ahead.

Eighteen minutes sufficed for Margot Lumb, British champion, to beat her American opponent in the final for the American squash rackets championship, at Boston, U.S.A., recently. She thus emulated the feat of Susan Noel in winning the British and American titles iri one season. It is also the third year in succession in which the American championship has been won by a British champion. Susan Noel won in 1933, and Cicely Fenwick last year.

Among the changes in the laws of Rugby which came into force for the British football season of 1934-35 and which will come into force in New Zealand with the opening of the new season here, is one which will be appreciated especially by spectators. It provides that after an unconverted try play shall be started again with a drop-kick, instead of a place-kick. So onlookers will have any doubts about whether or not a goal has been kicked from a try resolved for them very quickly. Of course, if a try is converted play will be started again with a place-kick, as before.

Humorous.

Some sports bodies are unintentionally very funny. Freddie Miller, who holds the American featherweight boxing championship, is recognised in his own country and also in Great Britain as holder of the world’s championship. The organisation which named itself the International Boxing Union, although it controls the sport only in Europe, would not recognise Miller’s claim to the world’s title. However, when Jose Girones, of Barcelona, champion of Spain, came into a boom in his own country and a second match between him and Miller —who beat him in five rounds a few months ago—was arranged, the International Boxing Union, possibly with much faith in the Spaniard, recognised the bout as being for the world’s championship. Miller disposed of Girones in less than a round this time. And now the 1.8. U. cannot very well decline to recognise Miller as the world’s champion.

Now that J. B. Hobbs has definitely retired from first-class cricket with a list of 197 centuries to his credit the possibility that W. R. Hammond will be the first player to score 200 centuries in the first-class game is being discussed in England. Hammond, now 31 years old—he will be 32 in June—has scored 99 centuries. At the same age Hobbs had made 65 three-figure scores in firstclass cricket. «■ * * An Excellent Pair. It looks as if one of the best pairs of half-backs who will be in opposition to the All Blacks in the 1935-36 Rilgby season at Home will be Ireland’s. G. J. Morgan, of Clontarf, who was first selected as Ireland’s scrum-half in the 1933-34 season, is reported to be now in the highest class of scrum-halves. V. A. Hewitt, of the Belfast Instonians Club, who was selected as stand-off halfback for the match with Scotland, at once struck a happy understanding with Morgan, who threw out fast passes which Hewitt took in his stride. If Ireland can now work up a first-class three-quarter line it will be very Hard to beat. The wings have had to rely too much on kick-and-rush methods, because the centres have been too fond of kicking.

Turned To Professionalism.

The decision of Joyce Wethered to become a straight-out professional, in women’s golf, and to accept an offer to tour America and play exhibition matches, as cabled recently, was not surprising, after the Ladies Golf Union decided not to sanction “open” tournaments. The discussion of professionalism and amateurism, at the union’s annual meeting recently, was prompted

largely by Enid Wilson’s case, that player, like Joyce Wethered, having taken up' a position in the sports department of a London store, but it was believed that Joyce Wethered was just waiting to “see how the cat jumped.” Joyce Wethered is now a few months over 33 years of age. She won the British women’s golf championship first in 1922, and thrice thereafter. She won the English women’s championshipconfined to women born in Englandfive times running, from 1920 to 1924, both years inclusive. She has had very many other successes in golf, and has cften represented England in international matches.

Playing, against a Clarence District team, at Grafton (N.S.W.). for a touring '••ricket team organised by E. L. Waddy, C. V. Grimmett did the hat-trick, took three more wickets in a maiden over, and finished with seven for 10. He was the fourth bowler tried. He went on when the score was 40, and the team was out at 94. ■» * * “An Astonishing Success.”

It was noted in an article on this page recently that V. A. Hewitt, who was chosen to play as Ireland’s standoff half-back in the international Rugby match with Scotland, is a younger brother to T. Hewitt and F. S. Hewitt, who" were very prominent backs for Ireland between 10 and seven years ago, and who retired too soon from the game. Now a description arrived by mail of the match in which Ireland beat Scotland by 12 points (four tries) to five (a goal from a try) states that Victor Hewitt had a considerable share in the victory. One repol’t runs: “Hewitt was an astonishing success; he varied the attack with superb judgment and, closing quickly ih defence, he brought the line up with him so that the Scotsmen were unable to develop ideas arid were hurried into mistakes which the Irishmen used as jumping-off points for fresh assaults. The Hewitt family temperament thrives on the big occasion, and had Victor’s more famous brothers been in the centre, Ireland must have piled up a big score.”

Berg’s Decline. The fact that Gustave Humery, French lightweight boxing champion, won, on points, a match with Kid Berg, British champion, over 10 rounds in London a few days ago suggests that Berg had “slipped” as much as some American critics said he had after his last visit to America. It is possible that Humery has improved his boxing skill, instead of being mostly a swinging fighter, but the brief cabled report of the fight the other day indicates that Berg had no means of checking Humery’s sustained onslaught Berg and Humery have met thrice in three months now. Berg won the first of these bouts, Humery retiring in the eighth round; that was in London. The second, in Paris, was won by the Frenchman, on points. Berg's proper name is Judah Bergman; he was born in London, of Jewish parents, and will be 29 years old in July. Humery is several years younger.

/ J. E. Giesen, the former Wanganui Collegiate School player who has been playiqg excellent Rugby for Guy’s Hospital, London, first as a centre-three-quarter and then as stand-off half-back —he was strongly recommended as a player for England in the latter position —has been suffering lately from an injury to a knee which is so severe that it may prevent him from playing Rugby again. * * * Fifty Titles. The recent successes of J. Borotra in the French covered courts lawn tennis championships brought the total of his national title wins in this game ,to 49. He has now won the singles title in the French covered courts championships 10 times. Borotra was very anxious to complete the winning of 50 national championships, and he might have done so in the mixed doubles but for the severe physical strain of other matches. Yet he has 50 national titles, and to celebrate this the junior tennis players of France are to offer him a souvenir at a dinner. The 50th title is an Association football one, for he was an outside right in a Polytechnic team that won a French universities championship, and his friends recall that his dashes down the wing, sometimes ending in impetuous oyer-run-ning at the corner flag, or unintended contact with the earth as he tried to centre while running at full speed, outdid in virility anything he has shown on the lawn tennis court. Borotra has been criticised for his reluctance to play in singles in lawn tennis of late years, but wisely replies that only by husbanding his physical resources is he able, at the age of 37, Mo do as well as he does.